Cinematograph-film.



1. CAMPBELL. CINEMATOGRAPH FILM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 19H2.

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CINEMATOGRAPH FILM. APPIIcATIoIIFIIED'sEPLzs.1912.

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Patented May 23,1916.

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l CINEIVIATOGRAPH FILM. APPLICATION FILED sEPT.23. I9I2.

Patented May 23,1916.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

JOHN CAMPBELL, 0F WIMBLEDON PARK, ENGLAND.

CINEMATOGRAPH-FILM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application led September 23, 1912. Seria. No. 721,805.

ticularly to positive cinematograph films of the kind wherein the colorscreens for projection are integral with the positive film.

According Ato my invention I make the color screens part of the actualpositive by adhesively fixing or attaching thereto in proper alternatingor recurring order either, a plurality of separate transparent coloredslips, films or screens of the required complementary color, or two ormore continuous bands of complementary color` which are suitably cutaway or fenestrated in ladder-like fashion so as to expose through thespaces therein, when assembled,

the next or adjacent screen or screens iny th proper order in relationto the black and white pictures.

In describing my invention I will suppose for example a negative filmhas been taken through say alternate complementary green and red screensand a positive film printed therefrom in the ordinary manner. Thenalternately the positivepictures may be said to represent respectivelythe green and red portions of the spectrum, which must be restored whenprojecting, before colored cinematography will result. I .re-

store these screen colors by superimposlng the proper transparent colorson the film itself.-` This may be done in various ways for example, bysuperimposing on the positive pictures by adhesion, using gum, dextrin,or other suitable, transparent adhesive material,separate or continuouspieces of transparent material like gelatin, Celluloid or the like,tinted throughout with complementary green or red, so as to coincidewith the' proper green or red representing positives.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to theaccompanying diagrams in which Figure 1 shows detail views of the col-JoHN CAMPBELL, a to which they are to be attac ored screens or films andthe positive film ed. Fig. 2 1s a .dlagram showing suitable apparatusfor u sein their manufacture; Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1illustrating a modified method of manufacture; and Figs. 4 and 5 aresimilar views to Fig. 2, showing apparatus for use therewith.

For two colored cinematography these slips are conveniently prepared asfollowsz' In Fig. 1 a represents a film consisting of gelatin, Celluloidor like material with which a color (say red) has been, thoroughlyincorporated while in the semi-liquid and plastic state by well knownmethods of manufacture. This film is the exact size of the ordinarycinematograph Qblack and white positive film c to be colored and isperforated at a along its side edges by the same machine as the positivefilm on which the slips have to be superimposed. By suitable joints thecolored film may be made of any desired length. By means of a suitablemachine this perforated film is cut across where indicated by the dottedlines d giving slips the exact size of the cinematograph picture withlateral perforations a coinciding with the corresponding perforations cin the black and white positive c. Every alternate slip of the screen a,indicated by the even numbers 2, 4, etc., is rejected.

In a similar way the slips are cut from a green film b perforated at bby the same machine as the red film a, but here the odd numbers arerejected. As the slips are cut they are alternated viz. odd red, evengreen, and so on until the films are all cut. I have now a series ofcolored slips l, 2, 3, etc., alternately red and green. Before cuttingthe colored films they are registered as shown in Fig. 1 so that theappropriate slips of the colored screens coincide with the yproper blackand white positive picture as regards` the perforations. The black andwhite positive c is now run over a sprocket drum (Fig. 2) back upward,and as it is fed over the sprocket the appropriate slips from a b arealso fed on to the corresponding positive pictures by hand or othersuitable means, care being taken to see that the first colored slip usedis accurately registered to its correct position on the positive film cso that the perforations a b thereon correspond to the similarperforations c of the said ositive film. It follows that all succeedmgslips will then be in the proper sequence for adhesion to the positivefilm. The film is thus backed by complementary colored slips which arepart and parcel of the-film sequence.` I may also obtain the same renatepicture area c is cut out by itself. In the suitable arrangement forthis purpose shown in Fig. 2, e indicates the film box receiving thefinished film through the two rollers f g which move reversely,smoothing and fixing firmly the slips ab on lthe film c. A sprocket drumz. exactly coinciding with regard to the teeth in distance and size withthe film perforating machine pulls-the film c over at al suitable rate,on to which the alternate red and green slips are fed. A roller z'lightly brushes on the film o a minimum quantity 0f a transparentadhesive medium, as it is drawn from the film box y'. A suitable guideroller lc,

the exact width of the inner part of the film, is arranged to presslightly on the slips as they are fed on the sprocket. If desired I mightincrease the length of the roller c and form perforations in its endswhich would coincide with the teeth on the sprocket drum and serve topress the film tightly thereon. The movement of the film box e is suchas to give a slighttension to the film as it leaves the sprocket drum.For three color work three separately colo'red films are prepared viz.violet-blue, red, and yellow-green, and are treated in a similar manner,but in the violet-blue film every second and third slips are rejected.In the red every first and third are rejected and in`the yellow-green,every first and second. In the prepared slips I have thus alternatelyviolet-blue, red, and yellow-green, and these are fed on the positivefilm truly registered as heretofore explained and in the proper sult bysuperimposing by adhesion a transparent continuous film of a suitablematerial like gelatin, celluloid or the like of the exact size of thepicture film and tinted alternately with squares or oblongs ofcomplementary green and red in such a manner and size to exactlycoincide with the 4proper positive pictures when laid over the positivefilm.

For two color cinematography the con-v tinuous colored film may beconveniently prepared as follows and is described with reference toFigs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3 a is the complementary red film and b is thecomplementary green one. These are perforated as before on the samelmachine as the black and white positive c so that the perforationscoincide and the films a and b are registered in relation to thelpositive film c as. shown in Fig. 3 before being superimposed. In thered film a every .altera suitable machine, leaving the spaces open whichcorrespond to the green positive pictures and in the green film Z in asimilar way every alternate picture area is cut out so that open spacescorrespond to the red positive pictures. The two lms a and b are nowfirst superimposed on each other to form a single film, then on to thepositive film c so that'I obtain a positive black and white film backedalternately with red and green, the colors corresponding to the properpositive pictures. A suitable arrangement for this purpose is shown inFig. 4 in which a indicates the red film, b the green film, and c theblack and white positive. A roller i isemployed to brush on-the adhesivebinding medium on the yred filma. In this case h represents the sprocketdrum, 7c the guide roller, m the composite colored film, f and gpressing and-smoothing rollers,- L another sprocket drumfor registeringthe composite colored film m on the black and whitefilm c. f g otherpressing and smoothing rollers, and e the film box for receiving thefinished film.

Alternatively I may feed the three units viz. the red'film, the greenfilm, and the black and white positive over one and the samesprocketl1.. as in Fig. 5 giving the same result as heretofore described. Inthis figure of the drawings as before b represents the green filmperforated and cut as described, a the red film and c the black andwhite positive.

i and z" are rollers lightly brushing a minimum quantity of atransparent suitable adhesive material on the color screen a and thefilm'c. In this case lz, represents the sprocket,.m the composite film,f and g the rollers moving reversely to press and smooth the film and ethe film box receiving the finished film.

Thev motive ower is taken from the sprocket la, and film box e.

For three color cinematography I use in a similar Way three coloredscreens or films, violet-blue, red, and yellow-green perforated in theway already described. These films are cut in the way explained asfollows. In the violet-blue every second and third icture area is cutout by a suitable machine. In the red, every first and third is cut out,and in the yellow-green every first and second. These three screens areregistered with the positive film so that the blue, green, and redareascorrespond with their appropriate positive pictures and are thensuperimposed on the positive in the same way as already described in thetwo color composite film, except that three units forml the singlealternately colored film which is fed on to the sprocket over the blackand white film. Alternatively the four units viz. blue film, red film,yellow-green film and black and white film may be fed simultaneouslyover one sprocket producing the same result as described heretofore inrelation to two colors.

The colored films, both used for the separate slips and for thecontinuous films are made as thin as possible compatible With practicalworking. By either of these methods I obtain a composite film,consisting of the black and White positive, carrying at its backalternate colored areas appropriate to the particular positive pictureseither for tWo color or three color natural color cinematography, thecolored areas being adherent to but lying in a separate adjacent planeto that of the positive picture film and this composite film When runthrough `an ordinary cinematograph projector, With sufiicient speed (32per second) without any additional parts for the production of coloredlight Will give sheet pictures which when blended in the eye give' theeffects of pictures in natural colors.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is In positive lm the combination with the vblack andwhite positive pictures thereof of transparent colored films formedfromcontinuous bands which are perforated along their edges for the purposedescribed and stamped out in portions Where not required so as to exposethe colored portions of the neXt or adjacent screen or screens in theirproper order when they are secured to theblack and white positive.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day ofSeptember, 1912.

JOHN CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

J. S. ARTHERs, Z. BLAKEY.

